Geniza Lab

List of recipients of charity, mentioning "in the synagogue of the Palestinians," which probably refers to a person who lived there. Also two women with the notation "she should be checked out" (yukshaf ʿanha), meaning her deservedness should be verified. ENA NS 77.242 seems to be from the same list. The Voice of the Poor in the Middle Ages, no.69.

List (fragment) of recipients of charity, mentioning someone who "lives in the golden stone" and also an orphan Ibn al-Qaṭā'if. In the hand of Ḥalfon b. Menashshe?

List (fragment) of recipients of charity, including ghulam Hosha'na and "the widow of the shaykh Abu al-X" and two "ma`rifas," meaning people "known" by a local resident, who vouched for their deservedness.

List (fragment) of distributions to two cantors and others. Cash for the needy or salary supplementation for the poorly paid; with Coptic numerals. Last item: the balance left with 'the collector of the mezonot: 4 3/4'.

List (fragment) of recipients of alms

List, in Judaeo-Persian, mentioning Yiṣḥaq parnas, a social welfare official. Has Coptic numerals, e.g. no. 5, and perhaps the Hebrew tq (= 500?). Handwriting, too, suggests this is a late list (16th century?), and unlike the alms lists, donor lists, and accounts from the classical period.Similar lists occur in ENA NS 77.54, ENA NS 77.51, and ENA NS 77.388. NB: This description corresponds to a different, unidentified shelfmark.

List of contributors to charity, no sums given.

List of recipients of charity, including the wife ('bayt') of a warraq (bookseller), and a khayyat (tailor).

List of donors of wheat to charity. See also ENA NS 77.107.

List of distributions for charity, some of the entries similar to the T-S K15 lists, dated ca. 1107 (see Goitein, Mediterranean Society, II, Appendix B 19-23)

Recto: Letter of appeal from a woman who "is among the captives from Palestine." Dating: both Goitein and Gil date this document to the early Crusader period (early 12th century), but see Goldman, "Arabic-Speaking Jews in Crusader Syria" (diss.), p. 37, "Many undated Geniza documents have been ascribed to the period of the Crusades simply because they relate to warfare, ransoming, refugees, and/or massacres." Content: The woman requests the help of the community (qahal). She arrived this week in Fustat from Sunbāṭ. She is "naked" (i.e., in need), with a young child to take care of. Verso contains a very faded text in Arabic script (see separate entry, PGPID 35164).

List of charity recipients, with names and sums, probably distribution rather than collection. The list starts with names of the communal functionaries titled me'ulle, Rav Yishaq, Nezer and then other names. One entry is "for the house/wife of Ibn al-Jazafini/Ghazfini," a name that appears on other charity lists around 1107: see Zinger, "Women, gender and Law", p. 365.

A hastily written list of 37 contributors whose names are provided in abbreviated form. Perhaps a collection for a singer at a minor family event; 37 persons, including Abu al-Fadl b. Qata’if and the cantor Yakhin senior. (S. D. Goitein, Mediterranean Society 2:507) EMS

List of about 95 prospective contributors, consisting of 4 columns on recto and one on verso. Col. I is superscribed Massasiyyin, the is, people living in the Massasa quarter. Likewise 'Attarin in col. III must be understood as an abbreviated form of 'Square of the Perfumers,' for many persons listed had professions other than 'attarin. Col. V Physicians, 13 names, mostly known. From the time of the Nagid Avraham Maimonides (1205-1237). (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 508, App. C 136)

List. Perhaps for the distribution of bread for the week of Noaḥ. In Judaeo-Arabic. Recipients include: Ibrāhīm al-Ṭawwāf; Abū l-Ṭāhir al-Khādim; Abū Naṣr al-Khādim; al-Dayyan R. Menashshe ZL(???); the sick man from Bilbays.

List of 45 contributors, mostly referred to in an abridged and informal way, with Coptic numerals. Ca. 1235. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 503, App. C 117)

List of forty-five contributors, mostly referred to in an abridged and informal way, with coptic numerals. Ca. 1235. (Information from Mediterranean Society, II, p. 503, Appendix C 117)

Letter from Nahray b. Nissim in Fustat, probably to Barhūn b. Mūsā al-Tahirtī in Būsīr, ca. 1053. Nahray sends details of various sales in Fustat and of related payments. A man arrived in Fustat, who fell ill and died within 15 days. During his illness he prepared a will, leaving 10 dinars for charity in Fustat. Some of this money was given to the son of raʾs al-galut instead, whom Gil identifies as David b. Ḥezekiya. The receiver of the letter was appointed as one of the executors of the will. On verso there are illegible accounts in the hand of Barhūn b. Mūsā al-Tahirtī. (Information from Gil, Kingdom, Vol. 2, p. 744.)

List of collections, all crossed out. Recto contains a letter requesting payment or distribution of bread to various young women?

Letter of appeal for charity. A needy man from Qayrawan had applied for assistance from his relative, the esteemed Ifrīqiyyan merchant and scholar, Nahray b. Nissim (active in Fustat, 1060–97 CE). Before turning to Nahray he had already received donations from another prominent Ifrīqiyan merchant, Abū Zikri (Yehuda b. Moshe ibn Sughmār). Nahray had become annoyed. It is not clear whether he was angry because he felt that people might have thought he was neglecting his relative or became peeved for some other reason, such as competition over patronage--or perhaps both (Cohen). In any case, the writer promised henceforth to rely only on Nahray. But since then Nahray has only paid him the insufficient sum of 15 dirhams over the course of eight months. Now the writer is too ashamed to address Abū Zikrī, and he has therefore written this note to a third potential patron to solicit support. (Information from Cohen and Gil and CUDL.)